My pdoc also said not to get hung up on whether it's Bipolar 1 or 2, even though I have Bipolar 1. It gives mental health professionals a guideline, but it's person-to-person. Just like how medications are individualized, and what one person with BP responds well to might be completely different from someone else. Insurance companies need a billing code, so pdocs try to narrow it down. Traditionally though, anyone who has experienced a definite manic episode at some point in their lives meets criteria for Bipolar 1.